HSUS and SeaWorld condemn attack on flamingo at Busch Gardens

Organizations urge prosecution and the exercise of state felony provisions in anti-cruelty law

SeaWorld

SeaWorld, the owner of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and The Humane Society of the United States strongly condemn the cruel attack on a flamingo named Pinky at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida, and will urge authorities to pursue the case with vigor. An Orlando man was arrested for picking up and throwing Pinky to the ground, and the flamingo was so badly injured that she had to be euthanized.

“SeaWorld will strongly urge prosecution in this case, and for any person who engages in this sort of cruel behavior towards animals,” said Joel Manby, president and CEO of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. “Pinky was a beloved member of the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay family, and she will be sorely missed. Our Ambassador team members are appalled by this incident, and I am sure they share my view that our state must have a zero-tolerance policy for this kind of cruelty.”

Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS, added: “People who abuse animals often don’t stop there, and pose a violent risk to the rest of society. That’s why we’ve worked to fortify the legal framework across the country to punish malicious animal cruelty as a serious offense.”

Animal Cruelty: Getting the serious attention of law enforcement, prosecutors and residents in cases involving allegations of cruelty to animals is an essential step in protecting the community. The connection between animal cruelty and human violence is well documented. Studies show a correlation between animal cruelty and all manner of other crimes, from narcotics and firearms violations to battery and sexual assault.

Resources: The HSUS Animal Cruelty Campaign raises public awareness and educates communities about the connection between animal cruelty and human violence while providing a variety of resources to law enforcement agencies, social work professionals, educators, legislators and families. The HSUS offers rewards in animal cruelty cases across the country and works to strengthen laws against animal cruelty.

The National Sheriffs’ Association and The HSUS launched ICE BlackBox, a free smartphone tool, to allow users to record video of illegal animal cruelty and share it securely with law enforcement for possible investigation and prosecution.

To see information on statistics, trends, laws and animal cruelty categories, click here.